Draft-gear.



'I SHEETS-SHEET l.,

INVENTOR .Patented sepn29,1908.4

H. T. KRHAKAU. Dn-APT am.

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'APPLIOATION FILED H AB.. 24, 1908.

H. T; KRAKAU.

DRAFT GEAR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1908.

Pamnted Sept. 29, 1908.

APPLIcATlon FILED ma. 24, l190s.

DRAFT GEAR H. T. KRAKAIL l I l l l e l Wg'frNEssEs H. T. KRAKAU.

DRAFT GEAR.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR.V24, 190s.

Patented sept. 29, 190'8..

7 SHEETS-SHEET 4..

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WITNESSE-SV Qua (wm.

H.T.KRAKAU.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1908.

Patented sept.29,1908.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Ilia.. i l l l l INVENTOR a. mmm. MMA c QQWMQS-x.

i wlTNESSES E. T. KRAKAU.

DRAFT GEAR. AIPPLIATION Hum n n. 24, 190s.

Patented sept. 29, 1908.

'1 slums-SHEET t,A

wlfrnsssegs H. T. KRKAU.

' DRAFT GEAR.

A PPLIoATIoN FILED MAR. 24, 190s.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

INVENTOR OF CLEVEL'A CASTINGS COMPANY,

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I H and, in the count State of Ohio, h ful Draft-Gear, a full, clear, and eXact descri to the accompa part of this s Figure l is a pl Fig. 2 is a vertic the line II--II of view on a larger scale, connections between -the sw gear and .the truck, tails of the platfor tion to the car-bo longitudinal section of parts sh 2, but on a larger sca of the face-piece of plan view of the section pring-holder for ther is a front View ARRY T. KRAKAU, of of Cuyahoga and ed a new and useof which th e following is:

pti-on, reference nying drawings, pecication, in wl1ichan view of the draft-gear; al longitudinal section fon its applicaet" is a' vertical own in Fig. 5 is a plan View uffer; Fig. 6 is' a gulde and s of the parts 8 is a diagrammatic ative positions of the on a curve and the to the curve. Fig. 9 illustrating the relashown in Fig.- 6; lview illustrating tl buffers, with one ,car other car on a tangent is a diagrammatic view ND, OHIO, ASSIGNORTO THE NATIONAL MALLEABIJF: OF CLEVELAND', OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Sept. 29, 1908. Application led March 24, 1908. Serial No. 422,889.

track, and thus increase the durability of the cars and effect a very considerable economy in the power required to move the trams.

The drawings show the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it will be under-.

stood by those skilled in the art that the parts and their arrangement may be modiedV in many ways and that some of the l parts of the apparatus may be applied to l; Fig. 3 is a plan' g the guiding' inging draftand also showing the dem-buifer and use without the others.

In the drawings, 2 represents the carcoupler, which has a long rear extension Vpreferably made in the form of' a shank 3 which terminates at the end in a socket 4 for a vertical pivot-pin 5.v For. convenience, I prefer to make the couplershank in two parts and 3a, the rear portion 3 being provided with the socket or pin-hole 4 and being forked at its forward end so as to lit the sides of the forward portion'Bl. The socket 4f tits within ayoke 6 to which it is attached by the pivot-pin 5, and the yoke is mounted between draft-irons 7, 7 followers adapted to bear against stops 9 on the irons.

tive positions of the b a. reverse curve uifers with the cars on but not at themiddl rse curve. Fig. l0 is a di the relative p rs 'when the cars are at t of a reverse curve. atie .view illustrating of the buffers when the car a continuous curve.

l\ y inventio which the coulaterally lthrou nected to the truck s'o by positively into pre1 vice can be used with cars, and can also be applied tod illustrating- Fig. 11 is a the relative provides a draft-gear in capable of swinging de range. and is conas to be guided thereer position.

sprmg or springs 10 is interposed between the `followers and with the followers constitutesthe-draft-rigging. Any suitable kind of draft rigging may be employed. When the 'car is in service, the coupler and its shank will turn radially on the axis ofthe pin 5, being guided by means .described be-` low, so that it will at all times be in approxi- Y mately the central portion of the railway track. The yoke, however, does not turn but remains in the longitudinal axis of the car, and as the coupler is subjected to the pressure of buliing and draft, the forward .follower will be forced back against the spring or the rear follower drawn forward 'against the spring as the case may be, the forward stops 9 resisting the force of draft and the will adapt the js, but also with n heretofore on The advantages of raft-gears are, that m the great strain to d when provided gears, and also reliiciency tha ar equipments. rally-swinging d y are subjecte ally fixed draftrear stops 9 resistino' the force of butlin'o.

To guide the coup ershank and to hold it substantially at the center of the track I provide `it with guiding-rods shown in Figs. 3 and 4,-which are made with telescopicallyarranged sections having interposed springsA 11. At their rear ends these rods are connectmove strain from the wheels, axles, `and ed lby ball-fand-socket joints l2 to brackets 13 at the ends of the truck, and at their forward ends the rods are connected by balland-socket joints 14 with an elbow-lever or like connection l5, mounted at the middle on a vertical pin 1G which projects downwardly from the coupler-shank and is preferably connected therewith by a pad 17 and bolts 18. The lmode of attachment of the pin 16 to the coupler shank is not a limiting feature 'of my invention.l The elbow-lever connects the guiding-rods to the couplershank in such manner that tension exerted upon it on either side will turn it and keep its arm on the other side in the proper line, and the ball-andsocket joints afford the nbcessary flexibility to the parts.

The drawings show the application of my invention to passenger cars, and therefore platform-buffers are provided which are constructed in accordance withmy invention so that they will move laterally with the coupler-shank and thus will be maintained in engagement with each other in all positions of the car. The platform-buffer consists of three parts,-a forward part or facepiece 19, shown in detail in Fig. 5, with a straight face and a rearwardly-projeeting shank 19', secured to a front buti'er spring ease 20; the part 20 constitutes the second member of the platform-buffer and is fitted telescopically over` the rear buffer-spring case, which constitutes the third member of the device. Springs 22, 23 are set in the spring-cases, these springs being preferably two in number and the inner coil 23 longer than the outer coil and set in place under compression, so that, when the coupler is pulled out against its draft-spring l0, as explained below, the inner coil will force the face of the buffer forward and will keep the opposing buffers in close contact, thus preventing an intervening gap.

The rear spring-ease 2l, shown in detail in Figs. t, 6 and 7 has a curved and flanged end A portion 24, which lits upon a correspondingly curved segment 25, the front of which is preferably of Tashape in cross-section and the curvature such that its center will be substantially coincident with the pivotal axis of the couplershankthe end-sill 2G or other part of the car-frame back of the end sill of the platform. The buii'ler face is so mounted as to be maintained at right angles to the shank of the coupler, this being accomplished preferably `by making the buffer face rigid with respect to lateral motion in' its connection with its shank and s ring-cases so that it is substantially incapl )le of rocking or rotating on its shank and is thus held at right angles to the shank of the coupler. l

The/buffer is engaged With the con lershank m such manner as to permit an independent relative longitudinal motion of these parts to a limited extent, and so .lts body is secured to'` as to cooper cause them to move laterally together. This engagement is made by pins or projections on one of these parts, fitting within longitudinally slot-ted or elongated sockets on the other part, one pair of these engaging devices being at the rear of the buffer, and preferably as near t5 its guiding-segment as possible, and the other being placed at a forward p'oint, so that by applying lateral motion to the buii'er at. front and back points simultaneously,

the coupler with as' little friction and liability of binding as possible. The buffer being thus moved at its rear and forward points with the coupler, constitutes in effect a {inating member which has its rear bearing on a curved and extended surface at the end-sill of the car-frame, and transmits the stresses of bufng to the end-sill in a straight line in every position in which it may be carried by the coupler.. The strains are thus distributed on the car-fram`e in a most advantageous manner.- The bulfer by bearing at its rear end against the end-sill of the carframe, instead of near the forward end of the buffer on the front of theaplatform, ereates a minimum of friction on its bearing to be overcome in its lateral movement.

.he engaging members of the buffer and coupler which I show in the drawing, consist of a forward pin 27 secured .to a pad 28 on the coupler-shank, and fitting within an inverted and elongated socket 29 on the section 2O of the buffer. This device serves also as a stop to Jrevent longitudinal removal of the bufiler. The rear engaging member is constituted by a downwardly-projecting pin 30 on the part 24 fitting within a socket 31 secured by a pad 32 to the coupler-shank. This pin 30 is preferably placed directly under the segment 25,.so as to insure the proper sliding motion of the butler on the segment `without danger of cramping, and the sockets 29 and 8O are preferably made'only a little wider than Vthe diam ter of the pins, so that they will not allow independent lateral movement of the parts, but will permit independent longitudinal movement. The clearance for the forward pin 37 in its socket 29 is, however, preferably slight, so that if during bniing there is any tendency for the bnli'ers to move sidewise and allenT the couplers to buckle, such buckling tendency will be restrained by the action of the couplers locked together, becaus the engaging. devices vprevent the couplers from pullingl away from their respective buiiers. As long as the buffers are thus held in cngagement they cannot move sidewise relatively to eachother. The tendency to buckle is likewise prevented by the action of the buffers on each other. The buffer has a wide, buiiing face which is always held'rigidly at right' angles to the longitudinal axis of its it 1s moved laterally with own shank and to that of the coupler, because the buffer is not provided with ordinary springs, one on either side of the buffer, y

- whichI allow one side to-be compressed even t though the other-'side may not be, but it is provided with a shank which `is integral with the bufling face and which acts uponl t cars are pushed over the varying curvature Y laterally iniexible.

of the track they will force each other laterally on their respective carbodies 'and thus maintain their Shanks inthe same line. As each buffer engages its coupler, and oneis thus prevented froml moving laterally without, or forced to move laterally with, the other, the couplers will be held in line also and prevented from buckling. This action of the buffers on each other assists the truck connections in moving the couplers laterally when the curvature of the track changes. During bufiing strainswhen there maybe more or less friction between the rear end of the bu-Her and its bearing on the car-frame it is important that the increased resistance to lateral movement thus produced should. not

increase the work to :be done by the truck connections-but be overcomeby'the action of the buHers themselves. When-two opposing cars meet each other the faces of 4the opposing .buffers 19 will ordinarily be parallel, but in extreme cases, as shown in Figs. `3, 9 and 11, when the faces are slightly inclined to each other as they come together, they will adjust themselves in contact by forcing the buffers laterally until their faces make contact throughout their breadth,\ and will thus force the couplers into exact alinement.`

As the buffers have considerable lateral motion during the passage of the cars around Curves, it is desirable to provide iexible guard-rails between which passengers can walk from one car to the next. The precise form of such guard-rails is not essential to my invention broadly considered, but I prefer to use the means invented by me and shown in Figs. 2, 8 to 11. I employ upright posts 33, 34, the rear post being fixed to the car-body and the forward post being fixed to thebuffersection 19. These posts are connected by jointed'rail-sections 35, 36 and 37, the horizontal sections 35 being swiveled on the upper endsvof the posts, the vertical sections 36 being pivoted to the ends of the sections 35 and depending therefrom, and

the section 37 connecting the ends'of'the sections 36. The necessary lateral motion of these jointed rails is afforded by the-swiveling of the horizontal sections 35, and the elongation ofthe rails is provided for b the jointed sections 36 and 37, but they are The manner of opermounted on the car-body,

- tended curved bufiin the coupler, I employ a hollow post 38 which is mounted on the buffer-section 19 and has a vertical shaft 39 extending through ita 'This shaft has, at its upper end, an operating attachment to the coupler-lock mechanism so that'as the shaft moves with the coupler and bufferin their lateral travel, it will always be in proper position for successful operation.

Ilever 40, and at its lower end a crank 41 for AMy invention-'also adords means for the use of safety-chains and rods, byA which ther cars are connected'so that inthe event of breaking of the couplers the cars will not part. For this purpose, I employ rods 42,

connected at their rear ends to lugs 42 on the section 21 of the buffer and thence ex-l tending forwardly and terminating just back of the face of the buffer, the safetychains 44 being attached to the ends of the rods. This affords an attachment for the safety chains which thelateral movement of the ends of the car-bodies will not disturb.

It will be noticed that the platform of the car is provided with a projecting fixed cover-plate 45 which serves as an apron to cover thev gap between the top of the .buffer and the platform on which the passengers step as they-pass from one car to the next. This plate in my device is made suiiiciently wide to afford a coverfor the buffer in its mostergtreme lateral positions, and is preferably curvedk substantially concentrically with the pivotal point of the coupler. My bufer is relatively narrow, and lthe passengers can step over the center of the buffer no matter how much itis swung' to one side.

46, and the coupler `with an independent carry-iron '47. l

Those features'of my invention which are not herein speciicaly'claimed, form the subl ject-matterl of other applications filed and to -be filed.

I claim i 1. A laterally -swinging draft member and a fioatingbuffer having a rear bearing against an eX- tended buiiing surface and engaged with the draftmember with which it is moved laterally along said surface; substantiallybas described.

2. A. laterally swinging draft member mounted on the car-body, and a floatingbfer having a rear bearing against an exsurface and engaged with the draft-mem er with which it is `moved laterally along said surface; substan-A tially as descrlbed.

3. A laterally swinging draft member mounted on the car-body, and alfloating.`

-to an adjoining car,

buffer having a rearbearing against an extended builing surface and engaged with the draft-member with which it is moved laterally along said surface, said buffer being engaged with the draft-member at points near the batting surface and forward thereof; substantially as described.

4. A laterally swinging draft member mounted on the spring, a laterally swinging buffer, an' tended bufling surface, the buffer having a rear bearing against the extended butling surface, and a butter spring, said buffer being engaged with the draft member by engaging devices permitting independent rear movement of the buffer and transmitting rear movement of the draft member to the buffer spring, substantially as described.

A laterally swinging draft member and buffer and a rear sliding bufiing bearing for thefbuffer on the ear frame back of the front end of the car platform.

6. A laterally swinging draft member mounted on the car body, and a laterally swinging T-shaped buffer engaged with the draft member and having its shank rigid with the transverse member of the buffer, a buffer spring, and an extendedrear buffer bearing surface back of the front end of the platform, substantially as described.

7. A laterally-swinging draft-member mounted. on the car-body, a. latera-lly-swinging bilder mounted at its rear end on a curved segment fixed to the end-sill of the car frame back of the front end of the platform, and a connection between the. draftmember and buffer; substantially as described.

8. A laterally swinging T-sha'ped buffer having its shank rigid with the transverse member and constructed to have a rear bearing against an extended butling surface, and provided with two sections having an interposed spring, substantially as described.

9. A swinging draft member pivoted on the car body, and a laterally swinging buffer engaged with the draftmember for lateral movement therewith and bearing against a curved surface in advance of the pivot and back of the front end of the car platform, substantially as described.

140. A laterally swinging draft member pivoted on the car frame, a laterally swing ing] buffer, and safety connections attached to the buffer and moving therewith in its lateral motions, said safety connections adapted to extend forwardly for attachment substantially as described.

l1. A laterally-swinging spring-buffer, a laterally-swinging coupler mounted independent of the buffer, and a buffer face which is permanently maintained at substantially car body and having a draft 1 i I l l l i i i l l l l i l I i i i i l l l i i i I i' i I i laterally tained in parallel position,

right angles to the coupler shank; substantially as described.

l2. A laterally swinging coupler and a swinging yielding buffer n'iounted above the coupler, said buler having a transverse member permanently maintained at substantially right angles to the couplershank, substantially as descril'ied.

. 13. A laterally-swinging coupler and buffer having means whereby they are mainsaid buffer having a rear laterally-extended bearing on a part of the ear-frame back of the front end of the platform, and being adapted to transmit batting strains in a straight line thereto; substantially as described.

i4. A laterally-swinging` draft-member and a laterally-swinging buifer mounted independent ofthe draft-member and engaged therewith, and adapted to engage a corresponding' buffer on another car and to restrain the parts from buckling: substantially as described.

' 15. A laterally-swinging coupler, a swinging buffer mounted independently thereof and. engaged therewith for simultaneous swinging movements, the buffer being adapted to engage a corresponding bnit'er on another car, and means for holding the buffer face at right angles to the coupler during its swinging` movement; substantially as described.

16. A laterally-swinging coupler. and a laterally-swinging buffer mounted independently of one another, the coupler and butter heilig engaged with each other at a plurality of points; substantially as described.

17. A laterally-swinging buffer provided. with a shank and having ay rear bearing on the car-frame, a transverse buier-nleinber rigidly connected with the shank, and a laterally-swinging coupler engaged with the buffer and pivotally mounted on the carbody; substantially as described.

18. A laterally-swinging buffer having a transverse lmifer-n'ieinber, a laterally-swinging coupler, independent springs for the coupler and buffer respectively, and means yhereby the transverse butler-member is constantly held substantially at right angles to the coupler-slmnk; substantially as described.

1S). A laterally-swinging buffer carrying a spring-mechanism, and mounted to swing on a center back of the spring-mecl'ianism, and guiding means whereby the transverse buffer-member is constantly held substantially at right angles to its radius of swinging movement; substantially as described.

20. A laterally swinging coupler and a draft spring therefor, a laterally swinging buffer and spring mechanism for keeping the Abuffer projected during draft of the coupler, said buffer and con 1er being connect-ed, and wtransverse mem er for the buffer being permanently maintained substantially t right angles to the coupler shank.

21. A T-shaped buffer having its transverse member vrigidly held at right angles toits shank and extended laterally to engage the transverse member of an' opposing buffer lmd maintain ltheir respective! Shanks in A,

alinement, substantially as described. 10

Intestimonywhereof, I have hereunto set-v .my hand. j l HARRY T. KRAKAU.

HARBY ORR, CHAs. E. POPE. 

